RL01, RL02, RK06, RK07 cable differences

[Jay Jaeger]

On 9/25/2015 7:24 AM, tony duell wrote:
>>
>> Does anyone have both of these that I can pick their brains?
> 
> Yes.
> 
> The RK06/07 cable connects all pins. The RL01/02 one connects only those used
> by the RL drives. I doubt the characteristic impedance is different as the terminators
> are the same.
> 
> -tony
> 
> 

Actually, the terminators for the RL and RK06/07 drives are *identical*,
part number 70-12293-xx (The RL manual has no XX, the RK06/7 manual as
0-0 for XX, but no worries, that is just a revision number) .

Darn good thing, too, because the terminators have no markings on them.  ;)

The wire in my RK06/RK07 cables has part number 1700051-00 on it. (Not a
reliable indicator - see below).  According to the manual, the RK06/RK07
cable assembly part numbers are 70-12292-LL where LL (length) may be 8,
12, 25 or 40.  All of my RK06/RK07 cables have the part number.

The wire in my RL cables is marked two different ways.  One cable has
the DEC part number for the cable itself (70-12122-10), and the wire is
part number 1700051-01 (same as the RK cable!), and is marked AWM ...
2464.  Others, which have no DEC part number on either the cable or the
wire, has AWM ... JUDD Wire Div. Style 2576 on the wire.

The wire I have on my RK06/07 cables is smooth and stiff, whereas the
wire in the RL cables tends to be more "bumpy" and more flexible and
shinier.  However, given the wire part number 1700051-xx appears on both
kinds, and is not shiny, wire used is itself not a reliable indicator.

The DEC part numbers for the RL cables themselves apparently varies:

BC20J-XX DEC part number 70-12122-10 - RL11, RLV11
BC80J-20 - RL8A
BC80M-6 - RLV12

I would say that if an unmarked cable is 6, 10 or 20 feet long, and
flexible it is mostly like an RL cable.   If the cable is 8, 12, 25, or
40 feet long it is probably an RK06/07 cable.

JRJ